Synthesis of Samarium Nitride Thin Films on Magnesium Oxide (001) Substrates Using Molecular Beam Epitaxy

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Abstract

Rare-earth nitrides are an exciting family of materials with a wide variety of properties desirable for new physics and applications in spintronics and superconducting devices. Among them, samarium nitride is an interesting compound reported to have ferromagnetic behavior coupled with the potential existence of p-wave superconductivity. Synthesis of high-quality thin films is essential in order to manifest these behaviors and understand the impact that vacancies, structural distortions, and doping can have on these properties. In this study, we report the synthesis of samarium nitride monocrystalline thin films on magnesium oxide (001) substrates with a chromium nitride capping layer using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). We observed a high-quality monocrystalline SmN film with matching orientation to the substrate, then optimized the growth temperature. Despite the initial 2 nm of growth showing formation of a potential samarium oxide layer, the subsequent layers showed high-quality SmN, with semiconducting behavior revealed by an increase in resistivity with decreasing temperature. These promising results highlight the importance of studying diverse heteroepitaxial schemes and open the door for integration of rare-earth nitrides and transition metal nitrides for future spintronic devices.

Original languageEnglish
Article number765
JournalCrystals
Volume14
Issue number9
Early online dateAug 28 2024
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2024

Keywords

  • molecular beam epitaxy
  • rare-earth nitrides
  • samarium nitride
  • spintronics
  • thin films

INL Publication Number

  • INL/JOU-24-79928
  • 182823

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